Time switch



-J' M. ANDERSEN April 26, 1927. I

TIME SWITCH Filed May 16, 1922 fivenzvr: v 5 %wm, Z a /566 Patented Apr. 26, I

UN TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

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Tm SWITCH.

Application fled Kay 18, 1928. Serial Io. 501,486.

This invention relates to apparatus of that character in which a device is controlled by to change the time at which the lights are cut in and cut out of service so as to avoid waste of current.

The present invention has for its object to provide time switches and like apparatus with means for automatically varying the times at which the time switch is operated,

whereby as'the days increase in length, the

lights controlled by the time switch are cut into circuit at later times and are cut out of circuit. at earlier times as the seasons progress from the shortest to the longest days; and are cut in at earlier times and cut out at later times as the seasons progress from the longest to the shortest days. The present invention therefore may be properly termed a season changin device for governing the operation of time switches which control electric switches, gas valves, or. like devices.

To facilitate description, the device controlled by'the time switch will be hereinafter referred to as'a circuit controller.

These and other features of this invention will be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Fig. 1 is an elevation of one form of time switch provided with a season chang ing device embodying this invention.

Fig. 2, a sectional view of the season changing device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, a detail in plan to be referred to;

Fig. 4, a detail in section, taken on the line 4-4, Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5, a detail in plan to be referred to.

Referring to the drawing, a represents the box or casing containing a time switch, which may be such as shown and described in the patent above referred to, and which comprises essentially movable switch members b cooperating with circuit terminals 0, and actuated by a reciprocating rod or bar d, which in turn is operated by a suitable motor e, whlch is restrained from rotation by a detent bar f coo rating with an escapement lever g, whic is tripped at selected times by tr plping clogs h, 1., one of which 15 connected wit a shaft 10 carryin a hand or pointer 12, and the other of which is connected witha sleeve 13 on the shaft 10 and carryingahand or pointer 14,1said hands or pointerscooperatmg with a dial .15, loose on the sleeve 13' and actuated by a time element r'clocklocated in the casing 11 and not herein shown, all substantially as described in the patent referred to.

The dial 15 is provided with graduations indicative of hours and subdivisions of an hour and is designed to be revolved once in twenty-four hours, and is represented as provided with two sets of numerals run,- mug from 1 to 12 to indicate dayand night. The tripplng dogs h, i in the construction shown in the patent referred to are arranged in a. definite and fixed relation to the time dial 15, so that they release the motor 6 at definite predetermined periods of time, which would be the same on succeeding days until adjusted by the operator.

In the present instance the tripping dogs h, 2' are arran ed with relation to the time dial 15 to revo ve therewith and also so as to be moved independently thereof, whereby the position of the trippin dogs with relation to the time dial may fie automatically changed as the days lengthen and shorten, so

as to cause said do s to operate the escapement lever g and re ease the motor e to operate the switch at different times.

To this end, the time dial 15 has fastened to it as by screws 20, a plate or bar 21 on which are mounted two gears 22, 23, which mesh with a screw or threaded shaft 24 having a smooth portion 25 mounted to turn in a bearinghub 26 aifixed to the plate or bar 21. The shaft or screw 24 is rovided above the bearing hub 26 with a w eel 27, having a plurality of teeth, 28, herein shown as five in number, see Fig. 3, with which coo crates a stationary pin 29 on a bracket 30 a xed to a partition wall 31 within the casing 11.

The toothed wheel 27 moves with the time dial 15 and is carried past the pin 29 on each complete revolution of the said dial, which is once in 24 hours, and one of the teeth on the wheel 27 is engaged with said pin and causes the screw 24 to be rotated or turned the distance of one tooth, so that on each succeeding day, the screw or threaded shaft 24 is caused to turn one-fifth of a revolution, which causes the gears 22, 23 to make a partial revolution. The toothed wheel 27 is provided with a pluralit of sockets 32, see Fig. 4, one for each toot 1 28, and therefore five in number in the present instance, and as the toothed wheel 27 is rotated the distance of one tooth, it is frictionally engaged by a yielding stop, shown as a pin 35, carried by the bearing 26. The pin is rounded at its outer end to enter the sockets 32 and to be readily disengaged therefrom. The pin 35 is pressed against the wheel 27 by a spring 37 located in a socket 238 in the bearing 26, see Fig. 4.

The movement of the gears 22, 23 is transmitted to the pointers 12, 14, as will now be described.

The gear 22 is provided with a slot 40 ex tended across the face of the gear through the center thereof, and said slot has located in it an adjustable crank in the form of a bar 41 having a slot 42 extended lengthwise thereof, and said bar is movable in the slot 40 and is secured in its adjusted position by a clamping screw 43. The outer end of the crank or bar 41 has secured to it as by a screw 44 one end of a link 45, which has its other end fastened as by a screw 46 to a crank or arm 47- loose on the shaft 10, but

' which is frictionally connected therewith by means of a spring washer 48 cooperating with a gear 49 fast on the-shaft 10 and with a pinion 50 loose on a screw shaft 51 on the crank or arm 47, and on which the spring washer is mounted. The spring washer 48 is of proper size to bear upon the pinion 50 and gear 49 at the point where they mesh together and the tension or pressure of the spring washer may be adjusted by means of v the screw 51 so as to frictionally hold the gear and pinion from turning under normal conditions of use, and thereby connect the crank or arm 47 with the shaft 10, so that the latter responds to the movement of the gear 22 and'is moved thereby through the link 45, crank or arm 47, pinion 50 and gear 49, so as to automatically position the tripping dog it on the shaft 10 in proper' relation to the escapement lever g as the days lengthen and shorten.

The tripping dog 11 carried by the sleeve 13 is automatically positioned in a like manner by the gear 23 whose crank 54 is connected by the link 55 with a crank or arm 56 loose on the sleeve 13,v but frictionally connected therewith by the pinion 57, gear 58 and spring washer 59.

The frictional connection between the pointers 12, 14 and the gears 58, 49 just described, permits the pointers to be turned by hand so as to set the time switch at the desired time of o oration. The gears 22, 23 are provided with numbers running from 1 to 12 to indicate the months of the year, and

have cooperating with them stationary ointers or indexes 60, 61 attached to the earing 26. I

In practice the season changing device is ad usted at the factory for correct opera tion at the latitude where the switch is to be used, if known, which is accomplished by lengthening or shortening the cranks 41, 54 on the gears 22, 23. To adjust the device to the correct date when the switch is put into use, the screw 24 is turned by the operator manipulating the toothed wheel 27 until 30 the numbers corresponding to the month of the year at which the device is put into operation, register with the pointers 60, 61. The wheel 27 is then turned clockwise the distance of one tooth for each day of the month that has passed, previous to the date on which the device is adjusted. For example, if the device is to be set to start operation on Sept. '4, the wheel 27 is turned until the numerals 9 on the gears 22, 23 register with the pointers 60, 61. The wheel 27 is then turned clockwise by the operator to move the gears 22, 23 four teeth. When this is done, the season changing device is correctly set for Sept. 4, and thereafter the dial 15, which is driven by the clock or time element not shown, will make a complete revolution once in twenty-four hours.

On each revolution of the dial 15, the

wheel 27 engages the pin 29 and is turned a partial revolution, which in the present instance is one-fifth, and this rotary movement of the wheel 27 and screw 24 effects partial rotation of the gears 22, 23, which in turn efi'eet rotation of the shaft 10 and sleeve 13,40

as above described, and thereby change the position of the tripping dogs h and i with relation to the escapement lever g, so that as the days progressively lengthen from the shortest to the longest, the times at which the switch is operated to close the circuit and to open the same are changed correspondingly or are approximately so changed, and as the days progressively shorten from the longest to shortest, the times at which the switch is operated are changed correspondingly or are approximately so changed in the opposite direction. With the season changing device herein shown, it has been demonstrated that the instrument will follow the runrise and sunset with a. maximum error of about fifteen minutes from sunrise on August 15, and a like error for sunset on May 15, but will be practically correct on Dec. 15 and June 15 of the year, with ve slight error between these extremes, an these errors are cial operation.

One embodiment of the invention is herein shown, but it is not desired to limit the negligible in commer- Ill invention to. the particular construction shown.

1. A selective mechanism for time operated devices, comprising a rotatable time indicating dial, a screw shaft carried by said dial, gears carried by said dial and co-operating with said screw shaft to be rotated thereby, a shaft, a sleeve mounted on said shaft, cranks loose on said shaft and sleeve, gears fast on said shaft and sleeve, gears loose on said cranks and meshing with the gears on said shaft and sleeve, and means co-operating with said gears to frictionally couple the loose cranks to said shaft and sleeve and enable said shaft and sleeve to be rotated by said gears through said cranks and to permit said shaft and sleeve to he rotated independently of said cranks and moved into different positions wherein t ey are frictionally coupled with said cranks and ears. g 2. A selective mechanism for time-operated devices, comprising a rotatable timeindicating dial, a screw-shaft carried by said dial, a gear carried by said dial and co-opcrating with said screw-shaft to be rotated.

thereby, a crank carried by said ear and adjustable thereon to lengt ien and shorten the same, a rotatable shaft extended through said time-indicating dial. and provided on one side of saiddial with a pointer co-opmating with said dial and on the other si e of the dial with a tripping device, and mechanism connecting said gear with said rotatable shaft to enable the latter to be positively rotated by said gear.

a 3. A selective mechanism for time operated devices, comprising a rotatable time indicating dial, a screw shaft carried by said dial, gears carried by said dial and cooperating with said screwshaft to be rotated thereby,- a shaft, a pointer fast on said shaft, a sleeve mounted on said shaft, and mechanism connecting said shaft and sleeve with the gears on said dial to positively rotate said shaft and sleeve by said gears.

4. A selective mechanism for time operated devices, comprising a rotatable time indicating dial, a screw shaft carried by said dial, gears carried by said dial and cooperatin with said screw shaft to be rotated there y, adjustable cranks carried by said gears, a shaft, a sleeve mounted on said shaft, and mechanism connecting said shaft and sleeve with said cranks to' ositively rotate said shaft and sleeve by said gears.

5. A selective mechanism for time operated devices, comprising a rotatable time indicating dial, a screw shaft carried by said dial, gears carried by said dial and cooperating with said screw shaft to be rotated thereby, a shaft, asleeve mounted on said shaft and means for frictionally connecting said shaft and sleeve with said gears to permit the said shaft and sleeve to be rotated by said gears and to permit them to be rotated independently of said gears while remaining frictionally coupled therewith.

6. A selective mechanism for time operated devices, comprising a rotatable time indicating dial, a screw shaft carried by said dial, gears carried by said dial and co-operating with said screw shaft to be rotated thereby, adjustable cranks carried by said gears, a shaft, a sleeve mounted on said shaft, and mechanism for frictionally connecting said shaft and sleeve with said cranks to permit the said shaft and sleeve to be rotated by said gears and to permit them to be rotated independently of said gears while remaining frlctionally coupled therewith.

7. A selective mechanism for time operated devices, comprising a rotatable time indicating dial,. a screw shaft carried by said dial, a gear carried by said dial and cooperating with said screw shaft to be rotated thereby, a crank carried by said gear and adjustable thereon to lengthen and shorten the same, a rotatable device and a link connecting the latter with said crank to positively rotate said rotatable device by said gear.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHAN M. ANDERSEN. 

